Denver trip
Me on the right, with Allan and Carolyn Nation in Denver
Last week I spent a couple days in Denver with a bunch of “cowboys” learning from each other about better ways to add enough value to our beef products that people will beat down our door to buy from us. Well, I’m sure I didn’t get all the answers. But, I believe I got some things that will propel us forward and help us serve you better. The guy who brought everyone together was Allan Nation, owner and editor of “The Stockman Grass Farmer”. Much of what I know about grass finished cattle can be attributed to his excellent authorship and editorializing of this publication. Learn more about it at www.stockmangrassfarmer.com and go over to Allan’s blog.
Local food vs. “chinese” food
Here’s another in a long list of reasons to buy locally produced foods. Cut and paste the following link to your internet browser.
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/29/chinese-chickens-which-fast-food-chain-may-serve-you-this-scary/?icid=main|compaq-laptop|dl4|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2F29%2Fchinese-chickens-which-fast-food-chain-may-serve-you-this-scary%2F
Whose welfare is the government really looking out for?
French film crew visits us
A week ago Saturday, we had a visit from a French film crew (France’s M6 TV). They were here to look at the way we actually raise grass finished beef. We will be featured on a program similar to our US tv show “60 minutes”. It was a delight to spend the day with Claire the reporter and Matthew the cameraman. We went to the farmers market in the morning and back to the ranch in the afternoon. After the filming we enjoyed a dinner of roast beef and vegetables, all grown right here on our farm.
They came to our farm to film the contrast between grass finishined beef protocols and the more typical giant feedlot finishing protocols and the resulting effects on the food, people, and environment. They had spent the first part of the week in a large Texas feedlot. They were so suprised that we could actually get close to our cattle without them running away scared as they did in the feedlot. They got tons of film footage of the cattle close up and personal. Unfortunately, I didn’t have MY camera to record the results of our jersey steer licking the cameraman. Claire’s comment as we were finishing the day was, “this has been such a peaceful, low stress day”, as opposed to their hectic, niosy, dusty schedule at the feedlot. I replied that the cows feel the same way. Because of the low stress levels and calm surroundings, we can actually produce beef with out drugs (antibiotics), and hormone implants. Cattle get to eat what they were designed to eat–grass instead of copious amounts of grain.
Well it was lots of fun having them here. The show will air sometime between November and January. Claire promised us a copy of the finished version. I’ll comment on that as soon as I see it.
Idaho Beef Grazing Video, Finally!
This footage is from last summer and has been sitting on our camcorder for far too long. This will give you an idea of how we move the cows from one paddock to the next using electric fence.
While boring to watch, this is how cows were meant to be raised; low stress with plenty of greens to eat.
We’re ready for Mother’s Day!
The month of April has brought as the the saying goes–Showers. We have had some great and much needed moisture this month and we’re all ready for May flowers. This has been a great time to plant trees and shrubs, and many of our customers have been doing so. With the arrival of some sunshine and warmth this week the hanging baskets have really popped. The pastures and fields are starting to green also, and the neighbors are planting grain crops like mad.
Since this is also my beef blog, let me remind you that we also have great cuts of beef or even hamburger ready for your summer barbeques.
Happy Mother’s Day!
The May flowers are here!
The flowers are poppin
One of our working greenhouses.
From this........
to this takes a little effort, but tomatoes are on the way.